Garnet lives on a farm in rural Ontario, where his wife raises champion thoroughbreds.
Girl From The Hiring Fair
Garnet Rogers Lyrics
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I noticed the maid in the very next row
Hoped she'd be my neighbor
Imagine then all my delight
When the farmer picked us both
I spoke not a word on the cart to the farm
My heart beat in my throat
I gave him good measure
My envy grew as the corn in the fields
In his house dwelt my treasure
I'd watch her carry water to the cows from the bier
And the heat of the sun made the corn grow high
With it my desire
She was in my dreaming
In my dream's caress:
Her eyes, and her lips
And her dark brown hair
Curves beneath her dress
Harvest time had come at last
So weary was the task
That the women and the men
Worked side by side
I had her near at last
I swung hard with my scythe
Few words between us passed
I cursed my tongue-tied youthfulness
Feared she'd hear my heart
When all was safely gathered in
We sat down to rest
My trembling fingers touch her arm
Oh, she placed them on her breast
Ah, she turned to me as the sun went down
All my senses reeled
We lay there in the center ground
The moon was over the field
She was safely in my arms when from the barn
There drifted the sound of the violin
We hurried back to the farm
All there danced in the lantern light
Music filled the air
And I thanked my stars for the harvest moon
And the girl from the hiring fair
All there danced in the lantern light
Music filled the air
And I thanked my stars for the harvest moon
And the girl from the hiring fair
The song "Girl from the Hiring Fair" by Garnet Rogers is a tale of unexpected love that blossoms in the most unlikely of places - a hiring fair. The singer, a laborer, attends a hiring fair seeking employment. As he scans the crowd, he notices a maid in the very next row and hopes that fate will make them neighbors. The farmer eventually chooses both of them, much to the singer's delight. However, he does not speak to the girl during their journey to the farm, as his heart is racing with anticipation.
The singer finds his lodgings to be comfortable and his master to be kind. However, his envy grows as he watches the girl he has been admiring carry water to the cows from the bier. He cannot help but desire her, as he watches the corn grow high alongside his longing. During the harvest season, the singer finally gets a chance to work side by side with the girl. He is struck by her beauty and is tongue-tied in her presence. They work together until all the harvest is safely gathered in, and they sit down to rest. In a moment of boldness, the singer touches the girl's arm, and she places his trembling fingers on her breast.
As they lay in each other's arms, the sound of a violin drifts out from the barn. They quickly hurry back to the farm, where they find everyone dancing in the lantern light. The music fills the air, and the singer thanks his lucky stars for the harvest moon and the girl from the hiring fair.
Overall, "Girl from the Hiring Fair" is a story of love found in unexpected places. The singer finds himself unexpectedly taken with the girl working alongside him on the farm, and despite his shyness, he finds the courage to express his feelings. The song is a testament to taking chances in the pursuit of love and not being afraid to follow one's heart.
Line by Line Meaning
I went down to the hiring fair for to sell my labor
I went to a job fair hoping to find some work
I noticed the maid in the very next row
I saw a woman standing in the next row
Hoped she'd be my neighbor
I hoped that we would be allocated to work together
Imagine then all my delight
When the farmer picked us both
I was thrilled when the farmer chose both of us
I spoke not a word on the cart to the farm
My heart beat in my throat
I was too nervous to speak while we rode the cart to the farm
Lodgings dry and my master fair
I gave him good measure
My envy grew as the corn in the fields
In his house dwelt my treasure
I had decent accommodations and a fair employer. However, I was envious that the girl I liked lived in his house
I'd watch her carry water to the cows from the bier
And the heat of the sun made the corn grow high
With it my desire
I would watch her carry water and the way the sun and heat affected everything around us. It only fueled my desire for her
She was in my dreaming
In my dream's caress:
Her eyes, and her lips
And her dark brown hair
Curves beneath her dress
She was in my dreams, and I longed to touch her eyes, lips, hair, and curves
Harvest time had come at last
So weary was the task
That the women and the men
Worked side by side
I had her near at last
It was harvest time and hard work, but I was grateful to finally have her near in the field
I swung hard with my scythe
Few words between us passed
I cursed my tongue-tied youthfulness
Feared she'd hear my heart
We didn't speak much, but I was nervous and afraid that she would hear my heart pounding
When all was safely gathered in
We sat down to rest
My trembling fingers touch her arm
Oh, she placed them on her breast
After finishing the work, we sat and rested. I touched her arm and she placed my hand on her breast
Ah, she turned to me as the sun went down
All my senses reeled
We lay there in the center ground
The moon was over the field
She turned to me as the sun set, and we both felt an intense connection. We lay there in the field under the moon
She was safely in my arms when from the barn
There drifted the sound of the violin
We hurried back to the farm
We were in each other's arms when we heard music from the barn. We quickly returned to the farm
All there danced in the lantern light
Music filled the air
And I thanked my stars for the harvest moon
And the girl from the hiring fair
Everyone danced as music filled the air. I felt grateful for the harvest moon and for having met the girl at the job fair
Contributed by London V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.